From Lockdown Boredom to Thriving Woodwork Business

Bob Williams turned Covid lockdown boredom into a thriving woodworking business, creating garden planters and outdoor furniture from his shed to a Stoke-on-Trent workshop.

Turning Lockdown into Opportunity

A former scrapyard worker, Bob Williams, transformed his boredom during the Covid lockdown into a successful career by creating garden planters. While furloughed from his job, Williams purchased timber and tools and began crafting planters from his shed, driven by a desire to stay active.

Bob Williams A brown timber door of a shed, with a sign on it saying Bob's Workshop — Williams worked out of his shed for the first few years before moving to a unit in Fenton

Now 50 years old, Williams eventually left his scrapyard job to focus on meeting the growing demand for his handmade wooden products. He has since established a workshop in Stoke-on-Trent, where he produces a variety of wooden items and has converted part of the unit into a retail shop.

Community Support and Business Growth

Williams credits his progress to the support of his neighbours, who tolerated the noise from his woodworking activities for nearly four years.

"I like messing about with wood," he said, describing his mindset during the pandemic: "I've got a big shed, I'll get in the shed, rip everything out of that, buy some tools, and start making some planters."

Demand for his planters increased during lockdown as many people spent more time at home. Even after returning to his scrapyard job, orders continued to arrive, prompting Williams to pursue the venture as a full-time business.

"Do we regret it? No, I don't think so, definitely not," he stated.

The business has since expanded its product range to include outdoor furniture and fencing panels alongside planters.

Passion and Challenges of Handcrafting

Williams remains passionate about woodworking and takes pride in seeing his creations featured in customers' gardens. However, the manual nature of his craft has led to numerous injuries.

"I've got so many injuries on my hands..my knuckles get hit by the drills and the hammers," he laughed.

His partner, Sam Hallam, manages the new shop while Williams continues his work at the Fenton workshop.

A man and woman are looking at the camera. Both wear grey t-shirts under their tops. The man has glasses and a short beard, the woman has shoulder length blonde hair — Bob and his partner Sam Hallam who will run the shop at Bob's Garden n Wood Stuff

"It's been hard work, but now it's coming to fruition," Hallam said, adding that she was pleased to have her garden back after dedicating the space to wood storage for so long.

Neighbourly Assistance

During the early years of his woodworking, neighbours generously allowed Williams to use their back garden to store wood, facilitating his production process.

Bob Williams A range of wooden products are piled up outside a large brown shed with a covering over the front — While working from his shed, neighbours allowed Williams to use their back garden to get all the wood in

Williams' journey from a furloughed scrapyard worker to a successful entrepreneur highlights how creativity and determination can turn challenging circumstances into rewarding opportunities.

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